1. Integrating Reproductive
Health into Youth
Development Programs
Angie Venza, Program Director
May 2012
2. International Youth Foundation
• Invests in the extraordinary potential of
young people.
• Works in 73 countries with 200 local
partner organizations.
• Delivers holistic programs to promote
positive youth development – through
learning, work and citizenship.
3. Planning for Life Program
2007 - 2013
• Approach: Integrate youth reproductive
health/family planning education into on-going
youth education, livelihoods, and civic
engagement programs.
• Goals of Integrated YRH/FP education:
Empower youth with information
Equip youth with skills to make responsible
decisions and behavior choices.
Connect youth to resources
4. Planning for Life: 2007 - 2013
• Carried out with local partners in: Philippines,
India, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Tanzania, Senegal,
Jordan, St. Lucia and Dominican Republic
• Resources developed and available:
Framework for program integration
Program planning matrix, by age
Project design and proposal writing guide
Ten-lesson curriculum and training guide (in 7
languages; adapted to multiple cultural contexts)
FieldNotes offering lessons learned and best
practice
5. Planning for Life Lessons
1. Personal Values 6. Sexually-Transmitted
2. Puberty Infections
3. Reproduction 7. HIV/AIDS
4. Teenage 8. Substance Abuse
Pregnancy 9. Gender Roles &
5. Contraception Stereotypes
10.Gender-Based and
Sexual Violence
6. Planning for Life
Why integration? Steps to Integration:
Helps youth make the 1. Identification of trainers
connection between 2. Training of Trainers
responsible RH/FP 3. Community mapping &
behaviors and life goals. youth surveys
Makes effort more 4. Translation and initial
sustainable by adaptation of lessons
embedding it in
institutions 5. Pilot testing with youth
Connects efforts to local 6. Final adaptation of lessons
community 7. On-going integration into
programming
7. Lesson #1
Life skills are prime entry point for
integration
• Youth should have basic life skills training
prior to RH/FP lessons
• Skills related to self-awareness, respect,
decision-making, conflict resolution, and
communications are a base for applying RH
• Prior rapport established with trainers and
classmates helps make youth more
comfortable talking about sensitive RH topics
8. Lesson #2
Utilize non-health experts as trainers
• Have life skills training experience
• Builds buy-in/commitment and skills among
existing staff
• More cost–effective to sustain and replicate
• Requires awareness raising and training to
address sensitive topics
• Supplement with outside experts/ service
providers for technical subjects
9. Lesson #3
Involve Youth-Friendly Service
Providers
• Identify and visit local service providers
(RH/FP, substance abuse, GBV counseling)
to ensure they are youth-friendly
• Invite them to participate in trainings to
provide technical input and increase youth
comfort level
• Have a list of youth friendly providers to refer
youth
10. Lesson #4
Adapt Delivery and Content to Local
Context
• Survey youth ahead of training to identify
knowledge gaps and cultural biases
• Low literacy levels may require more role-plays
and active games
• Consider segregating classes by gender for
some topics
• Use an anonymous question box for risky topics
• Be sure to address myths and misconceptions
11. Lesson #5
Ensure Community Buy-In
• Parents, community/religious leaders, service
providers, government, NGO staff, etc.
• Critical for youth to have supportive
environment
• Explain program in non-threatening way to
increase comfort level
• Invite stakeholders to observe trainings
• Find local ‘champions’ to support you,
especially if there is resistance
Editor's Notes
Starts with less risky topics addressed first and works toward most sensitive topics.
Using only outside health experts means expertise doesn’t stay in institution and is more costly to sustainAllows for better integration into holistic youth programmingKey is that they have training experience – ideally in life skills - and believe in value of RH educationTraining provides chance to get comfortable with ‘risky’ topics and to practice teach.Bring in local health service providers to teach more technical subjects
Especially good for more technical lessons on STIs and contraception
Youth will have diverse levels of knowledge due to age, education level, cultural norms and stigmas